Google’s Hummingbird Update
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HOW IT AFFECTS SEO AND CONTENT STRATEGY & CREATION
By: Kevin Gamache & Kerry Carnahan Ellis
Google’s Ongoing Updates
3Apr 7, 2023
500 – 600 Changes per Year
Link originally pointed at http://www.seo-positive.co.uk/blog/googles-algorithm-timeline-infographic/ but redirects to http://www.absolutedigitalmedia.co.uk/
4Apr 7, 2023
Google’s Ranking ProgressEarly Algorithm (mid-1990’s) – The most keywords on a page wins (and in the keywords meta tag)
The PageRank Era (1998) – Sergey Brin and Larry Page developed an algorithm that looks at number and authority of inbound links to a website.
The Rise of the 200 (1998-2004) – Search engines began implementing hundreds of ranking factors that they can adjust and revise to help compete against spamming attempts.
The Panda Romp (2011)– Google implemented an update codenamed Panda which targeted duplicate and thinly written content.
The Penguin Walk (2012) – This Google Algorithm change codenamed Penguin was aimed at penalizing manipulative link building.
And…
What now??!!
6Apr 7, 2023
Google’s Hummingbird Update
+ Danny Sullivan of SearchEngineLand.com was told by Google that they called it Hummingbird because it was “precise and fast”
+ This was a major change. It changed how Google gathers, understands and indexes.
+ Hummingbird humanizes searches. It moves from breaking apart the query into keyword components to understanding the query as a whole and its intent.
What does it mean for content development?
8Apr 7, 2023
From Keyword to Context+ For many marketers this will not change HOW they
create web content, it changes WHY they create content.
– Content is now built to solve for the search intent versus the keywords used in the query.
– Content, as it always should have been, is built for the user not the search engine.
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From Keyword to Context+ Look at your site as a collection of pages, a novel.
– Would you read a novel that said the same thing over and over again?
– Would you read a novel that said it was going to be a love story but only had battle scenes?
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From Keyword to Context+ Ensure you are covering specific topics in depth on
separate pages.
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Being update proof
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Stop looking over your shoulderWELL AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT
+ The silver bullet is content that your audience finds as authoritative, is well written, and gets shared.
+ You may have the bullet but if you don’t keep your gun in shape it is as useful as a rock.
Thinking Strategically About Content
19Apr 7, 2023
Quality Content Matters. A Lot.FIRST… KNOW YOUR USERS
+ Audience research and models are critical– Segmentation models and/or personas (if you can)– Audience surveys or interviews
+ Understand their needs (“intent”)
THEN… INVEST IN USEFUL, USABLE INFORMATION
+ Creation + curation
+ Higher-quality vs. higher-volume: Focus on relevance.
+ Content structure/format aligned to user needs, not pretty designs
20Apr 7, 2023
Go Mobile. Now.
PLAN CONTENT FOR RESPONSIVE DESIGNS
+ Presentation-independent content– Adaptive content modeling– Focus on structure
THE MOBILE FIRST APPROACH
+ Start small and work up
+ Create content that is usable on smaller screens– Clear language and next steps– Help people understand how you meet their search
intent
21Apr 7, 2023
There’s Life Beyond Your Website
OPTIMIZE!
+ Have a content optimization plan– Know your KPI’s– Assign resources over time– Content creators and analytics need to work together
COMPLEMENTARY CONTENT FOR MULTIPLE CHANNELS
+ Plan for social media or other channel content to complement your website.
+ Multiple shares and likes contribute to search authority.
+ Highlight different aspects of your offerings in different channels, but connect them for a wholistic experience.
– Popular teasers, highlights, or videos are great for driving both traffic and search results to longer Web pages with more detail
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